Dengue on rise? 998 breeding spots found
MUMBAI: Municipal health officials found 998 breeding sites for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes which spread dengue, malaria and chikungunya. In January, the city reported 14 dengue cases compared to 11 cases in January last year.
Meanwhile, fluctuating temperatures have led to a spike in respiratory ailments across the city.
Officials f rom t he health department said that in slums, most of the mosquito breeding sites were in drums used to store water.
“Despite better awareness, people continue to allow breeding in their premises,” said Dr Rajan Naringrekar, insecticide officer, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). He said common indoor breeding spots are fridge defrosting trays, pots for water plants and open water containers. Dengue mosquitoes need clear water to breed and open containers with wide mouths are ideal breeding places.
Last year, dengue was a major public health concern in Mumbai with 14 dengue deaths. The BMC had destroyed 38,818 breeding sites and collected a fine of nearly ₹89 lakh from 2018 2017 2016 2015 2018 2017 2016 2015
offenders. The civic body has the authority to book people under section 381 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act to impose a fine, ranging between ₹2,000 and ₹10,000, if they allow mosquito breeding in their premises.
Meanwhile, doctors have seen a rise in respiratory illness in the city, owing to temperature fluctuations. Dr Nitin Karnik, head of medicine, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion, said the number of cases of viral infection doubled in the last two months.
“Some of these cases have tested positive for swine flu. The present temperatures are ideal
for the viruses to thrive,” he said. “We are giving antibiotics to select cases,” said Karnik.
Dr Om Srivastava, a citybased infectious disease specialist, said he has seen at least a 20% rise in cases of bronchitis, a condition in which airways of the lungs get inflamed, causing c o ugh, wheezing a nd s o r e
throat.
“The smog is causing people to inhale pollutants which sit in smaller airways of the lungs causing irritation that leads to bronchitis,” he added. He has advised people to avoid selfmedication i n cases where cough and fever lasts over four days.